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Tuesday, 26 November 2013

I sometimes get the impression that people think what I do is a frivolous luxury. When instead I believe my role as an interior designer and decorator is a serious role in the design of spaces with most attention spent on considering how my client lives in the space and how it looks and feels.Numerous times I have been invited to someones new home, whether it is a nearly completed new house, or a recently purchased older home and I often encounter design resolutions (particularly with regards to windows) that clearly have no consideration to how the client lives in the space... enormous windows in bedrooms that have limited choices in window coverings, that likely won't be able to work in with the style of the architecture, bulk heads to contain window furnishings that clearly make no allowance for the blinds or curtains to fit! I often think architects would prefer their clients had no window coverings at all... but not many people are happy to sleep in a room without blinds or curtains to help them sleep, or to have a "fish bowl" existence. It's not my intention to architect bash, I very much admire architects and what they are trained to do, I just think that interior designers and decorators have a different agenda and purpose. I look at your comfort when living in the space by considering the furniture layout (by making allowance for my clients existing furnishings and planning for future pieces), enhancing focal points (whether they be architectural, art or a view), traffic flow, position of artwork, window furnishings (and how they interact with the space) and of course selection of appropriate finishes of fixtures and fittings.Really I think it is worth the minor investment of hiring an interior designer and decorator to discuss how to decorate and use the space before you start major works of construction or purchasing expensive furnishings. Imagine how much better your home could be with professional and experienced assistance.

Thursday, 31 October 2013

My youngest son turned four on the weekend; cause for celebration as he is growing into this little person that makes me beam with pride as I watch his traits such as determination, consideration, humor and creativity develop.As he has an interest in "things that move" I decided to put together a Car party (not the Disney type, the homemade type!). I also decided to be a bit creative and crafty so we had a good old fashioned party in the backyard!

Number Four cake with chocolate cars

Here's a break down of some fun ideas that you may want to try for your next party.

As an ice breaker I invited each of the children to decorate their own steering wheel made from a sturdy paper plate.

I painted a big picture of a car that was missing a wheel and the kids played "pin the spare wheel on the car"

Pin the wheel on the car

We borrowed some old tyres from our local dealership (Beaurepaires) and the kids played a version of "rob the nest". I made a up story that each team of kids had a car with missing parts and they had to race each other to fix their cars by filling the tyres. I used our Jumbo Lego (bigger than Duplo) for this game, which was chaotic but fun.

I had collected a couple of large cardboard boxes that

my children and I made into "cars" for the kids to drive. We painted them red (as red goes faster!) and used patty pan liners for headlights/tail lights and paper plates for wheels. I used jute webbing (usually for upholstery) for seat belts/shoulder straps

We played a version of "Giants treasure" where we put another jumbo Lego block in a tyre and I made up another story that the block was actually a replacement battery to keep in with the car theme.

Thursday, 10 October 2013

Work triangle.This
concept isn’t new, and I mention it first as it is still a relevant design
element; the work triangle points are made up between the refrigerator, stove
and kitchen sink as each of these stations is frequently used in the
kitchen.It makes sense that a lot of
thought is put into these being practically placed for easy access. This goes for all kitchen shapes which are
generally known as; straight, galley, L-shape and U-shaped kitchens.

Distance travelled between work areas and appliances; it

follows on from the work triangle that you give consideration to how far apart
the key elements on your kitchen area.If you have a lovely big kitchen, but you have to hike around a big
island bench or kitchen table each time you would to go from sink to fridge and
back, you may quickly find you have to travel some distance to prepare a simple
meal and that your attractive kitchen isn’t particularly functional.

Rules and regulations.Kitchen need to be practical spaces, but not only that there are some
regulations when it comes to things such as safe set down areas beside cook
tops as well as the size of your range hood and distance the range hood is from
the cook top. There are also the type of materials used as your splashback, distance
of electrical outlets from water sinks to consider etc. As you can see, it’s important to seek
professional advice when it comes to your design.

It goes without saying that items, implements and foods that
are used frequently are placed in convenient and prime locations and making
allowance for this during the design faze should not be overlooked. For example, you might have your spices and condiments
in drawers directly beside the stove so they are accessible while you are in
the thick of cooking!

When it comes to the traffic of other people through the
kitchen, it is most likely they are going to be travelling to the fridge or
pantry, so they are best placed near the entry to the workspace rather than
through it.As delightful it is to have
an enormous pantry, if you are having family stampede through your kitchen in
search of a snack, the kitchen may not be all you dreamed it could be.

Finally from a practical view, when you are putting together
your kitchen layout you need to consider whether you can open drawers, doors
and appliances without bumping them into each other.Also consider if the existing or new doors,
windows and window furnishings will function correctly within the kitchen.

Now it’s time to start considering material and finishes
selection. This comes down to your taste
and design aesthetic, budget and how you want the selections to last and wear as well as whether you require your kitchen for specialty cooking.

Tuesday, 1 October 2013

I’ve been invited to write my thoughts as an interior
designer on weighing the options between leather and fabric sofas, so here are
some things to consider before making a decision.

With an almost inexhaustible range of fabrics to select
from, allowing you to express your personality through fibre (linen, cotton,
silk, polyester, viscose etc.), texture, weave, pattern/print and so on; selecting
fabric for an upholstered sofa can be intimidating, but also extremely
effective in creating a feeling or mood to a room.

As technologies improve expanding ranges of fabrics are
chemically treated to make them resistant to spills and stains. This is done early in the process by the
fibres being chemically treated prior to the thread and cloth being created,
rather than the fabric being treated following manufacture.

I think it’s fair to say as a good guide fabric will not be as
long wearing as leather; it can fade, threads can pull, it can simply wear
through and oils from your skin can discolour the upholstery. Of course, you
can have your fabric sofa cleaned and regular vacuuming is recommended by all
fabric suppliers. Choosing the correct
fabric for the application can result in a happy outcome for many, many years; for
example a velvet sofa is extremely durable and has an elegant lustre and is
called a classic for a reason!

When making your fabric selection, think through the results
the fabric has from rub tests such as Martindale (I would consider a rating of
12,000 a bare minimum for light upholstery, 20-25,000 for general domestic, and
40,000+ for commercial/heavy wearing) or alternatively Wyzenbeek (30,000 double rubs for heavy wearing).

You may also want to enquire about the
fabrics score in light fastness (rating 1 - 8; 8 being no fading and 1
resulting in extensive fading).
Reputable fabric supplies will have technical information readily
available on their sampling.

On the other hand leather is a durable hard wearing choice
and an excellent option for allergy sufferers as dust doesn’t attract dust
fibres as easily as it can for fabric. Also being a natural product, leather is
breathable.

There is more than one type of leather out there and not all
leather is of the same quality, in fact “Calendared Leather” is not leather at
all (it is a PVC)! With a range of terms like Corrected (buffed), Aniline
(natural with no colour treatment), Pigmented (coated with colour),
Semi-Aniline (dyed) it can be difficult to choose the leather that is right for
you and your household. Some leathers
age gracefully with natural patinas deepening over time (but are likely to
scuff, stain from spills or oils from your skin), while others are very
resistant to scratches, spills and keep a consistent look for many years.

Really the choice between leather and fabric comes down to
what you need your sofa to live up to; where is it positioned in the room… full
sunlight? Who is using it… are they rough and tumble or careful? How frequently
is it used? How long do I want this sofa for?

Now you can start sitting in sofas and see which shape fits
you and figure out your budget (topics for another day). Good luck!

Monday, 2 September 2013

Yes, yes, I know; this isn't a riveting topic. But clear and descriptive communication is important when a designer is putting forward a concept to a client to avoid a costly mistakes.Consider curtains; over many years of designing and having made drapes, I know there are many ways of describing "floor length" curtains. And there are different reasons to select each.

Clearing the floor. I use this option for clients who want a "clean" finish, as maintaining a tidy floor is easiest with this style. I would describe this length as clearing the floor by about one centimetre.

Clearing the floor

Kissing the floor. For me I always imagine a long evening dress that just sweeps the floor; a casually elegant effect. From a practical standpoint, this length is useful when the floor is uneven under the window (It's extremely rare to have no variation in length throughout a residence) as it disguises imperfections. I would say curtains sit on the floor by two centimetres when kissing.

Kissing the floor

Puddling or pooling on the floor. This formal length is often used on curtains that are held back by tie-backs or hold-backs to decorate and frame a window. Depending on your taste, puddling curtains will be anywhere from ten to twenty centimetres on the floor.

Puddling/Pooling on the floor

Interior designers and decorators are engaged for our sense of style, ability to express creative ideas as well as our expertise and experience. It is our job to guide you, the client, to satisfactory solutions in the journey of making a house a home.

Monday, 26 August 2013

I was
recently invited to write an article about the Minimalist style of decorating;
here is my interpretation of the style.

A successful
minimalist interior is created by considering scale, proportion and the
negative space around the elements of the room.
Fine quality finishes are a must as all the details are noted. Furniture instantly becomes a focal
point. The materials used will need to
contrast in texture (not colour); for example a highly polished floor, contrast
textured walls (such as timber, stone, tile, wallpaper etc.) in a monochromatic scheme

The style is
not restricted to “modern” furniture in a contemporary minimalist
interior. In fact heirloom, mid-century
or simple rustic furniture can be an interesting juxtaposition to the clean
lines of the interior. You can still
have a space that reflects your personality and history without filling the
room with clutter.

En suite from one of my projects where thefreestanding bath and modern chandelieroverhead are the key features to the room.

My five steps to a minimalist interior;

Select objects you love

Choose furniture for impact; it will likely draw the eye

Contrast the texture of finishes in the room to create depth

Keep the colour palette monochromatic (with the option of splashes of colour for the focal point in the room)

Be restrained

And that last point is key... Having a
minimalist interior is an exercise in restraint; Coco Chanel’s famous quote "Before you leave the house, look in the mirror
andremove one accessory" is perfectly relevant for this interior style. It doesn't mean creating an empty room; it is about carefully considered selections.

Tuesday, 20 August 2013

I have no doubt you are curious about how your favourite designers style their own space? Are they completely conservative at home or wildly creative? Or perhaps designers are like proverbial plumber with the dripping tap that never quite gets their own project done? Here is a look at my place.When it comes to my home I have surrounded myself in the colours and textures that make me feel comfortable as well as mementos and photos of good times or special occasions. My master bedroom is painted in Dulux colour "Thermos" which is a warm caramel colour that I have complimented with a deep grey in the accents (like the tiles on the hearth and en suite and with black and white photos).

A consistent colour through the house is green. Whether that be the pot plants and fresh flowers that are a constant, the floral pattern on the kitchen blinds, the moss coloured walls in our fun playroom or the soft furnishings and patterned rug; Nomad Totem in the family friendly living room. We are renovating at the moment and I have just completed work on Mr. 6's bedroom. I have wanted to paint horizontal stripes somewhere for a while now and feel that his room is the ideal location. He has a loft style bed (the perfect place for his Lego table to be stored) which I used as a starting place to align the central stripe (colour matched to the bed too) and then I brought the previously used "Thermos" colour into the room in the alternative stripes, to keep a sense of continuity which I think is very important in a home (no need to make everything feel matchy-matchy though!)

Mr. 6 has requested an "under the sea" theme, so I have styled the room in this way with a few family treasures such as the chest a great-great grandmother used when immigrating to Australia and the handcrafted patchwork quilt made by Grandma from a collection of old checked shirts.The effect of the room is that it feels much larger (because your eyes are drawn to the perimeter of the room by the stripes), and already a favourite room in the house. I've very happy with my paint work and would love to hear your thoughts too.

Thursday, 15 August 2013

Even though your bathroom may be small, always consider the view when you enter the room when planning the layout. It’s far better to look at an attractive vanity or freestanding tub than looking straight onto a toilet commode.

Stealing space from the walls for recessed shaving cabinets, for niches in the shower to hold your shampoo or for the cistern are all useful tools. But also look beyond the walls to the rooms behind; I have had great success taking space from a neighbouring rooms robe, or over sized guest bedroom which has resulted in being able to squeeze a separate freestanding bath tub which otherwise would not have been a consideration for a small bathroom.

Call me vain, but I want to look my best when I’m in my bathroom, so I like to select light neutral toned walls that won’t make me look sallow (like a blue, green or yellow room would for example). I then use my towels and accessories to add seasonal colour. These are then also easy to update as trends change.

Of course hiding your clutter behind cabinetry is my best tip for keeping the room from feeling crowded, so don’t overlook good storage in your mirrored shaving cabinet or under your basin.

Just because the room is small does not mean you have to do away with luxuries. Indulge in the best quality finishes you can afford, including tiles (I like to see reflective gloss finishes as they help the room to feel light and airy)… it’s not like you’ll need too many tiles in any case; it is a small room!

Tuesday, 13 August 2013

Creating this boys bedroom was a pleasure. For this room my client trusted me when I recommended a painted feature wall would be the best way to ground the room and add interest. The paint is particularly successful as the selection (Dulux colour "Squirt") is a blue that is warm and comfortable. Multi-coloured striped floor to ceiling curtains that compliment the colours already in the room; carpet, paint colours and bedhead complete the desired effect.

Thursday, 25 July 2013

A soothing and elegant retreat was
the brief for the master suite in this recently completed house in Melbourne’s
south east. An intimate and personal place is created by the subdued
colour palette of taupe and duck egg blue drawn from the rich wallpaper.

Bed head made by BQ Design

The frantic pace of daily life is forgotten when you immerse yourself in the
luxurious deep pile carpet, gorgeous velvet custom made upholstered bedhead and the
fullness of the sumptuous taffeta curtains.

A neutral toned armchair and
ottoman accented with a duck egg blue throw takes advantage of the light from
the generously sized windows to create the perfect reading space.

Tuesday, 23 July 2013

When it came time to create a well resolved interior to this south facing guest bedroom the brief was to make an elegant sanctuary. This was achieved through layering textures while using a neutral colour palette and I must admit to being delighted with the results. To the walls we put a monochromatic striped paper (I love the stripes!) that has a pearl effect for a subtle shimmer; this is emphasized by the bedside lamps.

Continuing the elegance, luxurious taffeta curtains installed close to the ceiling to emphasize height then indulgently puddle to the floor, while the linen buttoned bedhead adds a further element of texture and play on light.

The contrasting finishes in the room help create depth and interest. The wallpaper, taffeta and velvet cushion each have slightly reflective surfaces, these along with the white linen combine to make the room feel light and inviting.

Friday, 5 July 2013

Earlier this week I went to the launch of Jamie Durie Signature new rug
collection “Horizons” for The Rug Collection.
Over three years ago Jamie released his first collection of rugs called Garden Roomwhich werebotanical designs inspired by his favourite plants; given Jamie’s renown
for landscape design this was an obvious decision. I was curious to see if
this new range would continue the botanical theme. I was delighted to see Jamie and his team have
looked beyond the foreground and designed a contemporary collection of rugs inspired
by and called “Horizons”.

A custom hall runner for the designers own home

At the launch
Jamie spoke of finding inspiration from his travels abroad and the changing
light and colours in places such as the desert, of the ocean and of fields. While the rugs are a simple overall effect of
graduated colour, they are made by a sophisticated selection of pure New
Zealand wool. The rugs will be a beautiful
foil to a modern-day home; not too plain, not too busy and gorgeous underfoot.

At the launch earlier this week

It’s always a testament to the designer when they make
something they would have in their own home and in this case, Jamie has
customized his design to make a hall runner over sixteen metres long for his
own home. The rugs come in various standard sizes and of course I’m happy to take
your inquiry about a rug for your own home.

Monday, 3 June 2013

I very much enjoyed my trip to Designex this year, apart from the exciting new products I love the atmosphere of being surrounded by fellow designers (yes, as expected there was a lot of black worn!).There is very much an influence from mid century styling, that I saw in furniture and lighting too (think of Great Dane furniture and pendant lighting with smoky glass).Porter's Paints shone with its range of papers and speciality paints (The liquid copperpaint is inspired), while Dulux showcased its colour forecasts.

It was a pleasure to revisit fabric houses and their new products (natural fibres, decorative sheers and digitally printed cloths are going to be added to my favourites list!)

I won't go on listing all that I saw, but you can be assured I have been inspired and look forward to demonstrating that in future projects.Sophie

Tuesday, 21 May 2013

I’m an advocate for recycling, up cycling and repurposing
too, so when I was given the challenge of this interior design project I jumped
at it.

I’ve had the pleasure of working on a budget makeover of a
dated and tired apartment. Gone are the
1980’s apricot walls, dirty cream carpet and dated sea green tiles! As this was very much a practical project to
a budget, (dressing up for new tenants), some of the existing finishes needed
to stay (such as the kitchen benches and bathroom vanity).

We updated the original kitchen by doing away with the old
mid blue cupboard doors with plastic handles and replacing them with a deep donkey
grey timber laminate/chrome bar handle combination that tones in with the
remaining soft grey bench tops. The original
kitchen tiles were painted to the off white trim colour of the skirting boards
and architraves.

The walls were painted in a soft grey (Dulux Duck White) and
a practical warm grey carpet was selected along with a blond plank vinyl floor
to the wet areas. New light fittings were
selected to tie in with the new style.

Gone are the vertical blinds in the living room, updated
with roller blinds to block out and floor to ceiling sheer curtains (made by BQdesign) to soften the look of the room while also adding daytime privacy.

The bathroom was given a lift with new white tiles, bath and
vanity mirror.

Overall the result is one that brings the apartment to look
as it belongs in this decade, without having to toss out objects that still
serve their purpose. The apartment is
now ready for new tenants.

Wednesday, 15 May 2013

Today I kicked off by visiting the Furnishings in Focus
event. It was an excellent opportunity
for me to review a range of Australian soft furnishing manufacturers local to
Melbourne, no imports. I was able to see a wide variety
of products and this allows me to stay in touch with quality makers (with, I
must add, varying price ranges). Again I
have to mention the products are all strictly proudly made in Melbourne (the
show is working its way around the major national capitals with local product
at each city), something I strongly support.

Here are a couple of sofas I loved.

This gorgeous velvet sofa looked very luxurious (can you imagine
the armchair version upholstered in cigar coloured leather?... I’ll take two for
my family room thanks.)

And this loose cover sofa in brushed cotton would sit
comfortably in a home decorated in the Hamptons style that is so popular at the
moment.

The big event on the Interior Designers calendar is DesignEX,
to be held late this month (Yay its Melbourne’s turn this year!). I look forward to updating you on what’s new, innovative and on trend for your home in 2013.

Tuesday, 23 April 2013

A lot of my clients are simply too busy to research and
source the selections for their interiors. Many people are concerned about making expensive mistakes. I also have many clients who really just aren’t that interested in
interior design… that’s ok because I am!

I love looking at a room and imagining it in its new incarnation,
and how great it can be. I have a wealth
of ideas and solutions for finishes and styles, I know where to find the
answers to get results and I am practical enough to work within a budget and with
existing selections.

Saturday, 16 March 2013

At the moment I’m getting ready to do a photo shoot for a home I’m working on and one thing I always do is take a look at the space and style it first. Simply by this I mean I take a look at each room and imagine it as a pictures or "vignettes" and which details will complete the look of the room. This may mean sourcing soft finishes like scatter cushions for the sofas, area rugs to the floor. To side and coffee tables and other horizontal surfaces I consider lamps and ornamental accessories. But for the day of the photo shoot I always bring fresh flowers and pot plants as these show that the space is lived in and cared for and that helps makes a house feel like a home.
If you are interested in getting the decorator look and having your entire residence or as little as a single room styled, please don't hesitate to contact me on 0422 725 805 or by email interiordecoratingbysophie@gmail.com to make an enquiry.

Sunday, 10 March 2013

Can you believe that it’s almost Easter? Not that it feels like it with this crazy hot
March weather here in Melbourne. The
fast approaching Easter means my eldest son has almost completed his first term
of school and my younger son has settled very naturally into three year old
kindergarten. It also means winter
fashion is hitting the stores and it’s time to start thinking about making your
home comfortable for winter.

For me it means getting cosy indoors with colour and
texture. Maybe it’s time to layer up and
get some wallpapering done, an area rug, beautiful new scatter cushions for the
sofa or bed, or lined curtains that physically insulate the room while adding
visual softness to your windows.

Autumn is also a popular time to get stuck into D.I.Y. projects;
hands up if you are about to get to work on some home maintenance or
improvements?

So if you need some professional advice selecting your
colours before you get the paint rollers out (or spend money on an expensive painter),
or someone with talent and experience to source and supply new furnishings and accessories, or
to design and supply new curtains, please contact me to discuss your project.

Sunday, 3 March 2013

My Mother-in-law had a momentous birthday this week and has
seen in another decade. To help celebrate I have been searching
for the ideal birthday gift for a significant milestone and it had me thinking
about the passing of time, change of season (hello autumn, so glad to have you
back again!), of creating lifelong memories, savouring them and remembering
time gone by (especially the good times).
These thoughts led me to decide to arrange a photography portrait sitting
for our small family spanning three generations plus one beloved geriatric dog, to try and capture this moment in our lives.

I strongly believe your home needs to reflect and showcase (in
no particular order) your

·Personality

·History

·Hobbies/Interests and

·Family whether it be displaying special
mementos, homemade gifts, art or through photos.

A gallery in my kitchen.

In my case I have this wall in my kitchen dedicated to family
photos and special pictures. These are all
in frames of different styles and sizes (collected over the years and more
recently from op shops) placed randomly linked together by a similar theme of
family and place as well as being painted a single colour; in this case black.

Framed hand prints in the play room

Further to this; in the playroom I have a moment in
time by framing a series of our hand prints in ascending order from baby
through to daddy and in a colour that compliments the scheme of the room. I
find it’s a playful way of adding interest to a bright and creative room.

Throughout my home, in a way that is natural to me, I have arranged and styled
keepsakes that hold special memories alongside decorator items to help tell the
story of me… and my family.

This brings me back to my Mother-in-law, who casually
mentioned to me recently, in a stoic way, that her arthritis is playing up and
she can no longer wear her wedding rings.
So for her birthday I also made this ring display in her favourite colours (shame its such a crummy photo), using Kaisercraft product (now I understand why scrap booking is so popular!) to rest on her bedside so these rings, that have seen decades of memories made,
don’t end up tucked in a drawer or container out of sight to be forgotten.

Monday, 18 February 2013

Recently I have been doing some short courses, keen to stay
abreast with the how too and what not for a small business! While I was chatting with my classmates I
realised that you may not know of my personal shopper service, and it may be
just what you’re looking for.

You may not want a decorator to makeover your entire house,
but perhaps need someone with the skills and know how to help you select key pieces of furniture for your
home. It would be my pleasure to take you shopping to
help you make the big selections, or research and make recommendations for you. My time is charged at a reasonable hourly
rate.

Products I can take you shopping for include;

Sofa/Lounge

Rugs

Dining Table and Chairs

Occasional Furniture

Artwork

As well as styling accessories such as lamps, cushions and
throws to bring the existing elements together and finish a room.

Sunday, 10 February 2013

I've recently joined the Instagram family, in particular I've found a way of playing with and sharing some interior styling images,just for fun! (something that I find very creative and rewarding as you will see from my previous blog entries) It has also been a terrific way to look at my own belongings and style with new eyes.

Love

Happily, I've found my new Instagram friends to be friendly, encouraging and complimentary (which, lets be honest, is pretty good for the ego!), as well as creative, fun and inspiring. I encourage you to give it a try and join in the experience.

Texture

All you need to start is a smart phone (these images in this blog entry are all from my smart phone, but if you've got a whiz bang camera you can use it instead!) and some inspiration; which I have found through Jen Bishop www.theinteriorsaddict.com (one of Australia's favorite interior design blogs) and a game called #7vignettes.

Pattern

Each month Jen posts a list of seven themes, then it's up to you to interpret these through small scenes in your home that you photograph and upload to your Instagram account over the seven days. The game is open to stylist, interior designers and anyone interested in interior decorating and design or photography who are wanting to play along. Even if you aren't interested in joining the game, I highly recommend viewing the gallery of thousands of images. You can find more of my images at the following address @interiordecoratingbysophie